The National Institute for Fitness

What The National Institute for Fitness does

The National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) is a non-profit organization founded in 1985 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, that operates two complementary business lines. The B2B managed services line provides turnkey fitness center management for corporate employers and senior living communities across 16 states and 40+ client locations, with service offerings spanning center design, full-time on-site staffing, group fitness programming, fitness assessments, and liability management. The B2C line operates a flagship fitness center in Indianapolis serving individual members, IU Indianapolis students, faculty, and staff, with group fitness classes, personal training, nutrition coaching, and complementary pool access at the IU Natatorium.

NIFS has developed a portfolio of specialized sub-brands that extend its evidence-based programming into differentiated niches: Bold Moves addresses Parkinson's-specific wellness needs with certified exercise specialists, Balance Redefined provides fall-prevention programming for senior living communities, HealthYou delivers web-based wellness services to remote and hybrid employees, and Wellness Companion (launched December 2024) is a monthly digital content subscription for senior living operators. The underlying technology stack is human-expert-led rather than AI-driven, with technical differentiation rooted in ACSM-aligned exercise prescription, specialized certifications, and curated content libraries.

Revenue is generated through a mix of flat-rate monthly managed services contracts for B2B clients, individual and student memberships with a 7-day free trial funnel, pay-as-you-go day passes, and recurring digital subscriptions. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and is led by President Emily Davenport, who was permanently appointed in July 2024 after leading the Fitness Center Management department through a period that grew staff to 55+ full-time employees. Marketing is predominantly content-driven through blog, social, and email channels, with annual event-based activation centered on the Pump It for Parkinson's nationwide campaign.

Name

The National Institute for Fitness

Legal name

National Institute for Fitness and Sport

Website

https://nifs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The National Institute for Fitness (NIFS) is a non-profit organization that manages corporate and senior living fitness centers across 16 states and operates a flagship Indianapolis fitness center for individual members. Services span on-site staffing, specialized Parkinson's and fall-prevention programming, and digital wellness subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Fitness Center Management Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

General Personal Training (In-Person & Virtual) (HSADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Senior/Low-Impact Group Fitness (HSADABAI), Group Fitness, Personal Training & Wellness Coaching (EDALAIAE)

Keywords

• Corporate fitness management
• Senior living wellness
• Corporate wellness programs
• Fitness center operations
• Active aging services

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fitness Center Memberships: Individual and student memberships providing access to NIFS fitness facilities including equipment, group fitness classes, pool access at IU Natatorium, and personal training services. Includes 7-day free trials, day passes, and monthly/annual membership options.
2. Corporate Fitness Center Management: Flat monthly rate contract for managing corporate fitness centers. Includes fitness center manager (40hr/wk), 5-6 hrs/week group fitness, monthly utilization reporting, liability protection, programming, and member services. Billing based on cost of living.
3. Senior Living Fitness Management: Full-service fitness center management for senior living communities including programming, staff management, equipment consultation, and ongoing operational support.
4. Wellness Companion Subscription: Monthly digital content subscription providing senior living communities with expert-driven wellness resources including educational materials, exercise content, and marketing assets.
5. Day Passes and Short-term Memberships: One-time access passes and short-term membership options for visitors and temporary users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NIFS is a non-profit organization that provides outsourced fitness center management services to corporate employers and senior living communities across 16 states, staffing and operating on-site fitness facilities, delivering group fitness, personal training, wellness programming, and digital wellness content. The company also operates its own flagship NIFS Fitness Center in Indianapolis, offering individual memberships, group fitness classes, training and coaching, fitness assessments, and nutrition services to consumers and the IU Indianapolis community.

Product overview

The National Institute for Fitness and Sport (NIFS) operates as a non-profit organization offering a multi-faceted fitness and wellness portfolio. The core offering is the NIFS Fitness Center in Indianapolis, complemented by Group Fitness Classes, Training & Coaching Services, Fitness Assessments, and Personal Nutrition Coaching. NIFS serves two primary market segments: corporate fitness management (Corporate Fitness Management, HealthYou, Corporate Fitness Center Design, Wellness Presentations) and active aging/senior living (Bold Moves for Parkinson's, Balance Redefined fall prevention, Senior Fitness Center Design, Wellness Companion digital subscription). Additional offerings include Membership Programs, internship opportunities, and liability management services. The portfolio functions as a platform-plus-modules architecture where the fitness center serves as the flagship operation, with specialized programs (Bold Moves, Balance Redefined) and digital products (HealthYou, Wellness Companion) extending reach into corporate and senior living markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bold Moves: A wellness program supporting the physical, social and emotional needs of residents with Parkinson's through specialized fitness certifications and interdisciplinary team approach
• Balance Redefined
• HealthYou
• Wellness Companion

Products and services

• Corporate Fitness Management Full-service outsourced management of corporate fitness centers, including staffing (a full-time fitness center manager at 40 hrs/week), 5-6 hrs/week of group fitness, monthly utilization reporting, liability protection, programming, member services, and equipment selection. Priced as a flat monthly rate based on cost of living, typically for employers with 400-800 employees.
• Senior Living Fitness Management Outsourced fitness center management and programming for senior living communities, CCRCs, and assisted living facilities across 16 states. Includes staffing, Bold Moves Parkinson's program, Balance Redefined fall prevention, group fitness, one-on-one training, fitness center design, equipment consultation, and ongoing operational support.
• NIFS Fitness Center (Indianapolis) The main NIFS fitness center located at 250 University Blvd., Indianapolis, offering comprehensive fitness equipment, group fitness classes, personal and small group training, fitness assessments, nutrition coaching, and free access to the IU Natatorium pool. Open to individual members, IU Indianapolis students, faculty, and staff, and the general public.
• Membership Programs Individual membership tiers providing access to the NIFS Indianapolis fitness center, including a 7 Day Free Trial, Day Passes, monthly/annual memberships, IU Indianapolis Student Memberships, and a Weight Loss Membership.
• HealthYou Web-based employee wellness program connecting workers with wellness services and resources including health coaching, lifestyle programs, group fitness classes (live-streamed and on-demand), and nutrition services for both onsite and remote employees.
• Wellness Companion Monthly digital content subscription providing expert-driven wellness resources for senior living residents, including educational, marketing, exercise, and wellness materials delivered monthly.
• Corporate Fitness Center Design Consulting services for corporate fitness center design, equipment selection, and start-up planning, leveraging NIFS's national buying power for best equipment pricing.
• Senior Fitness Center Design Fitness center design and consulting services for senior living communities, providing operator perspective on space planning, equipment selection, and operational success.
• Personal Nutrition Coaching Nutrition coaching services delivered by Registered Dietitians from Aligned Health Practice, covering dietary modifications, meal planning, portion control, and behavior change strategies for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Insurance is accepted by Aligned Health Practice.
• Wellness Presentations Over 75 different 30-to-60-minute wellness presentations across Fitness, Weight-Loss, Nutrition, and General Wellness categories, delivered by degreed health/fitness professionals and registered dietitians.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased monthly visits by 23% over previous month through programming incentives
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major, core and standard.

• NuStepflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026NuStep is a co-host partner for the Pump It for Parkinson's nationwide movement-based events. The partnership invites senior living communities to participate in tracking steps on NuStep machines to raise awareness for Parkinson's disease. The event has grown from 30,000 steps goal in 2023 to 50 million steps goal in 2026.
• Parkinson's FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Co-host of Pump It for Parkinson's event supporting research and resources for the nearly 90,000 Americans diagnosed with Parkinson's each year. Participants can fundraise through the Parkinson's Foundation.
• Sunrise Senior Living (The Fairfax)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2025Partnership to deliver expert-led wellness programs, personalized fitness plans, and engaging group classes at The Fairfax, a premier Sunrise Senior Living community in Fort Belvoir, VA.
• Freedom PlazamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2024Partnership with Freedom Plaza, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Sun City Center, Florida. As an LCS community and one of the most awarded companies in the J.D. Power U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study, Freedom Plaza receives NIFS staff and services for resident fitness programming.
• WellzestacoreTechnology or Integration · 15 April 2024Wellzesta Life is a senior living wellness software platform creating digital experiences for community engagement and wellness. The intelligent software emphasizes purposeful living, community engagement, and wellness care for seniors.
• Porter Hills Village and Cook Valley EstatesstandardStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2022Partnership with retirement communities in Grand Rapids, Michigan to support vibrant lifestyle of residents with individualized services, group fitness, and health wellness programs.
• Aligned Health PracticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Aligned Health Practice for all dietitian sessions and nutrition coaching needs. NIFS members have access to Registered Dietitians who accept insurance for nutritional services. The practice was founded by former NIFS Dietitian Sabrina Goshen.
• Indiana University Indianapolis (IU Natatorium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIFS members receive free and unlimited access to lap swim pool at IU Natatorium as part of their membership. Partnership provides additional aquatic fitness options for members.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HealthFitness (a Trustmark company): A direct competitor providing on-site corporate fitness center management, health coaching, and condition management for employers — closely aligned with NIFS's corporate fitness management offering.
• Corporate Fitness Works: B2B fitness center management company offering staffing, programming, and design services to corporate clients; mirrors NIFS's enterprise field-sales model and core managed-services bundle.
• WTS International: Operates fitness centers, spas, and wellness programs for country clubs, hotels, residential developments, and corporate clients; comparable managed-services model to NIFS.
• Plus One Health Management: Provides corporate wellness, on-site fitness management, and population health programs for employers — direct overlap with NIFS's corporate fitness center management segment.
• LifeStart: Designs, builds, and manages on-site fitness centers and wellness programs for employers; closest comparable to NIFS's full-stack corporate fitness center management service.
• Power Wellness: Manages fitness centers for hospitals, corporations, and residential communities with medically integrated programming; overlap with NIFS's corporate and senior living fitness management.

Broad incumbents

• Aegis Therapies: Large therapy and wellness provider serving senior living and post-acute care; broad incumbent whose wellness programming competes with NIFS's Balance Redefined and Bold Moves offerings in senior living.
• Sodexo Senior Services: Global facilities management and quality-of-life services company with senior living offerings; broad incumbent whose wellness services overlap with NIFS's senior living fitness management.

Emerging players

• Wellzesta: Senior living wellness software platform; NIFS has a Core technology integration partnership with Wellzesta, but it is also a partial competitor on digital engagement content for senior living residents.
• Wellable: Corporate wellness platform offering programs, challenges, and content for employers; represents the technology/software side of the same corporate wellness category NIFS serves via managed services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nifsindy
• Facebookfacebook.com/nifsindy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-institute-for-fitness-and-sport-nifs-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The National Institute for Fitness